Jaelen Strong

Combine Results

Grade

4.44 SEC

42.0 INCH

123.0 INCH

Draft Analysis:

"He has extremely strong hands. He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald in body frame only. When the ball is in his hands, he's a horse. He high points the ball as good as anybody in the country." -- Mike Mayock

6'2" Height

32 1/2" Arm Length

217LBS. Weight

9" Hands

Overview

2014: First-team All-Pac 12. Biletnikoff Award semifinalist. Started 12 games. 2013: Second-team All-Pac 12. Played in all 14 games with 13 starts. 2012 (Pierce College): 67 receptions, 1,263 yards, 15 TD in 10 games. 2011: Sat out season due to academic reasons. High School: 17 receptions for 318 yards as a senior. Chose to attend Pierce College over offers from Eastern Michigan, Villanova and VMI.

Pro Day Results

20-yard shuttle: 4.19 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.33 seconds

Analysis

Strengths

Good combination of height, weight and arm length for the position. Former high school basketball player who knows how to keep defenders on his hip. Drives back to the ball from top of the route. Adjusts routes in space. Developed nifty inside release to defeat press. Comfortable from slot, using varying route tempo for separation. Tracks ball well. Good strength in hands and makes contested catches. Decent leaper who will climb the ladder for a catch or sink and secure low throw. Strong lower body and physical after catch. Sun Devils used him frequently on shallow crossers, bubble screens and hitches.

Weaknesses

Still raw and learning to play the position. Allows too many throws into his frame and ball will beat him up at times on crossers. Not twitchy or sudden as an athlete. Long-strider who takes a while to build up speed. Play speed average at best. Rarely gets separation deep against man-to-man. Routes need improvement. Forced to make a substantial amount of contested throws. Corners don't fear his speed and are able to sit on underneath throws.

Draft Projection

Round 1 or 2

Sources Tell Us

"He's not going to run fast, but it won't matter because any team who drafts him is going to have a plan for him. When he has a quarterback who can throw him open, his speed won't matter much. I love him." -- NFC West scout

NFL Comparison

Dwayne Bowe

Bottom Line

Individual elements of Strong's game aren't awe-inspiring, but scouts really love the entirety of his game and where it is headed. His strength, size and ability to catch contested throws will be coveted by some, but his issues with separation quickness can only be solved if he becomes much better in his route-running. Strong looks the part of a physical, possession receiver with a relatively high floor.